Only an Accident
by Sia
Summary: The great Seto Kaiba accidentally gets two of the gang's girls as his workers. (Namely Shizuka [Serenity] and Anzu [Tea].) A few romantical accidents occur, but there's darkness hiding, waiting to come out... SxS or SxA?
1. Chapter 1: Desparate

  
Chapter 1: _Desperate_   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and do not intend to make profit out of this piece. Please do not sue me.   
  
A/N: This is a Seto/Someone story. I haven't decided who that someone is, but it is either Shizuka or Anzu. Sorry, I don't do yaoi. Anyway, this story is more about pain than love, and what comes thereof. I think you'll get more out of it by reading each sentence carefully.   
  
- 

The phone rang for the fifth time. The brown-haired woman looked at it with certain distaste, then turned her head around and started to scribble on a small piece of paper. 

"I hate you, Kaiba," she muttered with passion as she placed the post-it note in her office. That was the 500th this week. The desk was filled with blue ones, the ceiling with yellow, the walls with green, and the windows with pink. She placed the purple note on the floor and thrust her sharp heel with disgust. 

"Humph… Behaving like a mere child," a voice rang sharply behind her. The woman froze in the middle of her action and slowly turned around. 

This was the worst timing ever. 

"You're fired! Get out of here! You will never show your face in the town of Domino ever again!" Kaiba's former secretary grabbed her leather bag and practically ran out of there of pure joy. Then she stopped. 

_"If you ever get fired or quit yourself, you must find a substitute to take your position in a week. If not possible, you will still remain in service to Kaiba Corp. for two months until you may try it again."_

It wasn't that she wouldn't have any money or so… No, the fact was that she had more than enough. However, she had to abide by the laws of the contract, and what it said was beyond impossible. 

The position had seemed so wonderful when she'd first heard about it. In two days she found it was all just a pretty framed picture, and the truth behind it… Well, it was quite revolting. No one should have to be a secretary. Especially Kaiba's. 

The bad thing was that if she did not find a replacement for herself in a week, she would be back into that torturous cycle of paperwork and phone calls for yet another two months. And that was something she didn't want to experience again. 

Why had she signed on that contract? She wasn't just any desperate fan who wanted to just touch the great Kaiba Seto's magnificence and then die, happy with having been in contact with one's idol. No, she was not that shallow. Yet she allowed herself to be tricked into this hateful job with the thought that she could be able to maybe… maybe… 

No, it was impossible. Now that she had seen it, it was completely impossible. 

The only thing she had left to do was to try to get out of this brutal cycle, at the cost of someone else's admiration for the multi-millionaire. She didn't want to, but this was the only way for her. The brunette promised herself to get clean after she had performed this task. 

- 

At least fifty girls stood in front of the office desk. The old woman sighed, and then started to write down their telephone numbers in a little black book. The girls squealed with delight as they daydreamed about the possibility of working with him. 

Him. The most known person in all of Domino. Kaiba Seto. 

The old woman looked sadly out of the window, and suddenly wished these girls would just go and chase someone else. In her opinion, Kaiba Seto wasn't really worth chasing. 

Oh, if they only knew his true face. Forgotten memories were brought to her. If they had seen how he bought a company and sold it tenfold, how he carelessly scorned all the most prestigious businessmen at the Grand Party, how he never helped his little brother with his homework… Oh, then they'd know. 

At the same time she was feeling quite sorry for that brunette who got fired. Of course, all the secretaries of Mr. Kaiba were a little bit… odd. 

The first one of them ran out of his office, crying like a baby and had never shown her face again. The second one threw herself out of the window on a wonderful sunny day. Fortunately she was rescued and now lived a happy life as a daycare teacher. Each one was more than happy to leave, once they saw the backstage of this company. The last one ran out of there, with a thousand post-it notes trailing after her and a smile like the sunshine. That was, before she realized she had to find a replacement. 

Replacements for Kaiba Corp. were never hard to find. Almost everyone wanted to be in the important company, serving the most impressive man of all. However, the true problem was to make these people last. 

At the same time, the old woman felt a little bit of remorse both for her superior and the poor girls. Those girls always seemed to have a thousand schemes in making Mr. Kaiba fall in love with them. The fluffiness was unbearable, and the picky woman refused to let any such shallow girl to have this important job. 

All the same, an odd feeling came over her. Even if those love notions were so ridiculous, she still wished that Mr. Kaiba would fall in love with a girl. Not those screaming insane girls, she thought and wrinkled her petite French nose in distaste. 

Or just something that would take his mind off the work. 

Little did she know, that she was about to get the wish fulfilled soon. 

- 

"I heard that Kaiba Corp. is looking for a secretary!" One of the girls whispered with the gleam of excitement in her eyes. 

"Yeah, and I went there and applied, but that old hag didn't let me in!" Another girl snorted, "Me! The Vice President of Kaiba Seto Fan Club!" 

The members of the popular girls' group were chatting with each other, all of them admiring the great Kaiba Seto. They were those girls who scoffed at others of their kind, the ones wearing thick coke-bottle glasses, the quiet ones and practically everyone who was not pretty or wearing the latest fashion. 

"A job? Gotta check this out…" Shizuka thought to herself as she inched closer to the girls' table, fully aware of the risks. 

"A part-time secretary job, isn't that exciting?" 

"I heard you get to go out with the great Kaiba Seto himself!" 

"The pay isn't bad either, and what a dream it would be… Being his secretary!" 

"Yeah, the most important person in the company!" Shizuka chuckled mentally as she thought, "Isn't it the greatness himself then?" 

"I'm so going to sign up!" Another girl grinned as she took two rice balls from the leader's lunch box. 

"I've got the telephone number!" The leader held up a piece of paper with a few numbers on it and triumphantly waved it in the air. The soft breeze blew it out of her hands and it fell on the floor. 

"You dropped it, you klutz!" The rice ball stealer snarled at the leader. 

"That's okay. You just go to the office, that big high building in town and tell them about the secretary job…" A brunette consoled the disappointed group. 

"Well, they say the office is open from 10 AM to 5 PM, maybe you'll get a normal workday!" 

"And even if it is overwork, it is with him. Right?" The chatting resumed as Shizuka inched nearer unconsciously. 

"Look! A freak! It's a little freak who's been eavesdropping on us the whole time!" The brunette who consoled didn't seem so sweet anymore. 

Now she was getting it. These were dangerous vultures, just waiting to bite her just when she had the chance to get invisible. Shizuka cursed herself for being so foolish and tried to silently sneak away. 

"We're gonna get you." The leader's icy eyes met Shizuka's dimly hazel ones just before she turned around and fled. 

- 

"Hey, what happened to you, sis?" Jou was helping the almost unconscious Shizuka to stand up. 

"Nothing," she mumbled as her mind tried to focus on what had happened. 

A fight… Yes, it was a catfight. A punishment for eavesdropping, it was. She had listened to them chiming about something… A secretary job, she thought. A simple job just for her, she supposed. It was well worth the trouble to be beaten up. 

"Eh… Sis? You okay?" Jou's voice snapped Shizuka out of her reverie. 

Shizuka nodded as she contemplated the possibilities of getting a job. Yes, she was now sure of it. It was the perfect job, in a closed room with no people contact, no one who could recognize her and give her away. And then there was the pay. If it was a good company, it had to be a good pay. 

But inside her, she knew why those girls wanted the job. To be close to him. 

She didn't care much about that; she just wanted a job so she could support her family, namely herself and Jou. Then again, all those dangerous yet pretty girls were so much more superior, so why should she have a chance? 

"Just tell me who beat you up, and I'll beat them up." Jou's grave voice reached her ears, snapping her out of her train of thoughts a second time. 

"No," Shizuka shook her head firmly and sighed mentally. Jou wouldn't really understand. She had violated those girls' rules, and the beat-up was the price for it. To not make Jou worry, Shizuka did her best to put a happy face before she slipped into a dreamlike state. 

The job… The glamour… There had to be a catch. But what was the catch? One of the girls had admitted being rejected. She knew the girl. Rich, snobby and like so many others of her kind. Being rich? Maybe, but did that truly matter? Maybe it was the attitude? No, the secretary job required solitary work. It had to be something else. 

"Don't worry, Jou," the innocent girl smiled at her admirable big brother and started walking towards the big tower in the center of the city. 

"Sis, where are you going? Be home latest by 6 PM, okay?" Jou seemed still worried, so Shizuka nodded to him and continued her walk. 

A truck passed by, and then Shizuka and her shadow were gone. 

- 

"Yes, I got all your information. Now just tell me why you want this job." The gray-haired woman asked. Shizuka was the last applicant for the secretary position. This was the last day, and there didn't seem to be any hope left. The old woman shook her head, for she expected the same answer, and the same desire to be near Mr. Kaiba behind it. 

"Eh… Because I…" Shizuka thought quickly in her mind. She couldn't just tell about the dire situation that her family was in, and the gang leader's satisfied face appeared in her mind again. She was determined to get this job, and nothing would stand in the way. 

"Yes, dear?" The woman asked, and Shizuka noticed the woman was moving closer, against her own will. 

"Because my family really needs the money," Shizuka blurted out. Oh no, she had told the truth! Now she regretted it. Oh well, done is done. She closed her eyes and awaited the doom. 

"That's great! You get the job." The woman's youth seemed to be back. The old and experienced lady had seen that Shizuka was a sweet, kind and patient girl, perfect for the job. Her prejudice had won awhile, and she had thought if this girl was like all the others. Now she knew the truth, the driving force behind this young girl. 

Shizuka was shocked at the woman's reaction. Just like that? She wiped away the sweat drops with her handkerchief and tried to smile at the old lady. 

"Thank you." 

Kawai Shizuka had just gotten a job. Not any job, but a job involving things unthinkable right now, that would show themselves to be possible in the future. 

- 

"It seems like Mrs. Picky has made her choice, Mr. Kaiba," the butler reported his news to the grand master. 

"And?" Kaiba Seto was tapping his fingers impatiently on the coffee table. 

"She will be starting the day after tomorrow, with tomorrow being spent on contracts, negotiations etc." The butler replied, bowed respectfully and left the room. 

"So, Naoko, you've found a substitute in the nick of time. You got lucky. Let's see if she's better than you…" The young man laughed a harsh laugh, and then turned his attention on something else.   
  
-   
  
A/N: I'm sorry that I got such a bad self-confidence, but it's the sad truth. Two reviews and I'll post chapter Two. If not... There is a lovely comfortable fire over there...


	2. Chapter 2: Repeat

Chapter 2: _Repeat_  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I don't intend on making a profit out of this, so please don't sue me.  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so happy! I got summer vacation today! It rained though, but that was good for me and bad for all those poor girls who were wearing miniskirts. Hah! But the biking trip to school in icy cold rain for 30 minutes wasn't too healthy… Anyway, I'll stop babbling about my personal life. Oh yes, summer vacation means more time. More time to write…   
  
Note to Reader: Please read each sentence carefully, I think you'll get more out of it if you do.  
  
-  
  
The golden sun shone through the bright, big window on the top floor of Kaiba Corp. However, the young man inside didn't noticed it, or he ignored it. He was tapping fervently on the laptop with furrowed brows.  
  
"Dropped 20%, must compensate for that with… Oh yes, 50% rise in technical management. That brat Larsson did do good work, but he's too expensive…" And such was the thoughts of this young man.  
  
**Ring!**  
  
"Maybe Lind would do the work better; he is from America after all…" Kaiba muttered to himself, ignoring the phone call.  
  
**Ring!**  
  
"Then again, Moore does work way cheaper…" He quickly recovered from the aggravating noise.  
  
**Ring!  
**  
His thin, malnourished lips curled into a cruel smile as he continued to contemplate, with the occasional interruption.  
  
**Ring!**  
  
"Curse that telephone…" The continuous ringing was echoing in his ears, and his annoyance barometer just jumped ten levels.  
  
**Ring!**  
  
He'd had it. Kaiba grabbed the phone and listened for one second.  
  
"Err, Mr. Kaiba? Your new se…" The poor man was cut off as Kaiba pulled the phone cord. His anger was a bright, red-colored fire, rising to the sky for every second that passed. In his rage, Kaiba forgot everything and just lost it. An odd crunching sound made him freeze to his usual sub-zero temperature again. He turned around to inspect the source.  
  
He realized too late that his ultra-sensitive computer was on fire.  
  
-  
  
"Here's the paper, Mr. Kaiba," the man bowed and left.  
  
Kaiba signed it, quickly scanning the information. For some weird reason, his mind couldn't register the facts, but it was nothing important to him.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," another man swooped the paper onto the silver tray, then hesitated and asked, "It's about the new secr…"  
  
"Get out! Get out of my sight immediately!" Kaiba roared fiercely as the hated subject which was his computer's death was mentioned again.  
  
The man looked terrified, then retreated like a rabbit to its burrow.  
  
He would be computer-less the whole day, so he took up the first paper of fifty stacks and started to skim it through.  
  
It was going to be a very long day.  
  
-  
  
**Knock**, **knock**.  
  
He wasn't going to play a stupid child's game. The man with the blue eyes focused his mind once again on the document.  
  
**Knock**.  
  
His patience was at its limits. He threw up the door, ready to snarl at whoever dared to disturb him. The man who had come to deliver the message about the new secretary was now stuck between the door and the wall, in a very narrow space.  
  
"Ouch… Mr. Kaiba… Personal secreta…" That was all the man could say before he fell unconscious under the heavy oak door.  
  
No more of that bothersome knocking, thought Kaiba and returned to his uninteresting but important paperwork.  
  
-  
  
A new computer would not arrive until five days later. Kaiba was furious enough rip down the whole tower and everything in it. However, it wasn't his nature, so he decided to just give extra flavor to the fear he would put in the people's hearts.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, did you know a new sec…" Lars Larsson, one of the main technological researchers was trying to inform the great Kaiba Seto about the new secretary's arrival.  
  
"Why are you out here? And are you trying to indicate that there is something in this company that I should know?" Kaiba was intimidating Larsson, and the researcher shrank back, and then hurried out of the CEO's sight.  
  
-  
  
After repeated attempts to inform Mr. Kaiba about the new personal secretary coming tomorrow, the staff gave up and returned to their jobs.  
  
They left Kaiba to find out about the secretary himself.  
  
And that was a thousand times worse than tell him themselves. But they'd only realize it after the whole encounter had happened.  
  
-  
  
The sunset was beautiful, but the brown-haired young man had ignored it, and kept writing on scrap pieces of paper, trying to keep his disorganized ideas neat.  
  
"We're at the mansion, Mr. Kaiba," the limousine driver informed him.  
  
"And by the way, there's a new…" The last futile attempt was below futility as Kaiba stepped out of the car and fled into the house, in a dignified way that only Kaiba Seto could've done.  
  
-  
  
Why was everyone trying so desperately to tell him something today? And all of them, telling the same thing! Of course they didn't succeed, as Kaiba's charisma simply warded off anything that tried to tell him something in a superior way.  
  
It was he who made the rules. Anyone messing with him had to play by the rules. They would never be allowed to make their own rules, as far as he ruled.  
  
Then why… Why did he have a certain feeling of curiosity inside him? Why did he so dreadfully want to find out? He poked the incessant thoughts into a tiny corner of his mind, and prepared to stop them with full force.  
  
Then he went down to dinner.  
  
-  
  
Dinner was the greatest, richest meal you could find in all of Domino. And this greatest, richest man wasn't enjoying it at all.  
  
"Hey, is there something wrong with you?" Kaiba snapped out of his rice reverie as he watched his worried little brother gulp down the dinner.  
  
"You're planning something." This was not a question, but a statement. Kaiba narrowed his eyes and stared intently on Mokuba.  
  
"Yes," Mokuba sourly admitted the truth and made the trademark Kaiba smirk at Kaiba himself. Then he ran up the stairs and retreated into the safety of his room before Kaiba realized what was going on.  
  
Kaiba dipped the chopsticks into the rice bowl, fished them up with a minimal amount of the substance stuck onto them and carelessly put the wooden cutleries into his mouth. This mechanical action was repeated until the bowl was sparkling empty.  
  
He wasn't really hungry.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba? We'll need a new…" the maid was shocked by Kaiba fleeing up to his room as soon as he heard the word "new".  
  
Kaiba himself ran up the stairs as fast as he could, and he heard the usual video game sounds from his brother's room, before rushing into his own and slamming the door with a thud that sounded in the whole house.  
  
"Wonder what's wrong with Mr. Kaiba. He never acts like this…" the nervous maid murmured as she drew back into the servants' part of the mansion.  
  
-  
  
He saw the paper on his desk. First he thought it was just a trick, but it was the there. The paper had never felt more real when he briefly raised it to his tired blue eyes and scanned the information.  
  
They looked… familiar. He was sure he had seen it earlier this day.  
  
Where? He couldn't recall.  
  
Then he remembered. The man delivering a new contract about a new worker… That was it! Those kind of things happened every day at such a large company as KC.  
  
But there was something special with the paper.  
  
Personal… something.  
  
What?  
  
A few puzzle pieces fell into place as he remembered all those people who had made such pathetic attempts, trying to tell him about the new…  
  
What was it again?  
  
S... something.  
  
His experienced brain had already found the answer, but Kaiba's proud self was too proud to admit it. He kept his arrogant attitude as response to the mental question passed his lips and into the air.  
  
"A Personal Secretary."  
  
At that same moment, he was filled with rage in that no one had told him. When he threw a glance at the picture, he immediately recognized it. That blonde's sister.  
  
This was too perfect. Kaiba Seto smirked, returned to his frozen self, and picked up a beige telephone with lining of ivory. He started to dial the number to Jou's apartment, pausing in-between each single number to enjoy this…  
  
-  
  
A/N: So, what did you think about my pathetic attempt to try humor? I'm truly sorry about my bad self-confidence. Three reviews for chapter three. Okay? Please click on that little blue button down there and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is fine. Then again… There is a nice paper shredder over there… 


	3. Chapter 3: First Day

Chapter 3: _First Day_  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. And I do not own any Japanese names that appear here, they're just a combo of names I've read in mangas.  
  
Explanation: I realized that many people don't actually know who's who and what is what. So I'll clarify it here. This is based a little bit on the manga and a big bit on the English dubbed version of the anime. Let's just say that this is after Battle City, and that Doom/Oracle, Memory World and all that other stuff don't exist. (Yet.) Now for the names: I'll just make a list of character who appears in this fic. Just to be original I'll go with the last-name-before-first-name way and keep the polite Japanese behavior, though without any suffixes such as "chan", "san", "sempai/senpai" etc.  
  
Seto Kaiba – Kaiba Seto  
  
Serenity Wheeler – Kawai Shizuka  
  
Tea Gardner – Masaki Anzu  
  
Joey Wheeler – Jounouchi Katsuya  
  
Yugi Moto – Motou Yuugi  
  
Mokuba Kaiba – Kaiba Mokuba  
  
Tristan Taylor – Honda Hiroto (Not sure if it is spelled right…)  
  
Mai Valentine – Kujaku Mai  
  
Bakura – Bakura Ryou  
  
Note to Reader: I think you'll get more out of this… err… piece… If you read each sentence and take your time.  
  
-  
  
Jounouchi Katsuya was dozing off when the incident happened.  
  
Ring!  
  
He picked up the phone angrily, and thought for a split second of throwing it into the wall. His mind decided against it, and he pressed the phone to his ear.  
  
Nothing. Well, Jou wasn't that kind of a person to just sit there and listen to a quiet phone, so he chose the way of action.  
  
"Err… You've reached the home of Jounouchi Katsuya…" He was interrupted before he had a chance to continue.  
  
"This is the dog, right?" A malicious voice was heard as Jou's brain worked hard to comprehend what was going on. Shizuka had helped him to study, and then he had dozed off… And then, this phone call came and woke him up. What a pain. Jou smiled smugly and decided to be annoying.  
  
"Why yes, of course. Of course I'm born in the year of the dog…" Jou grinned mentally as he over and over complimented himself on his cleverness. In the state of half-sleep, Jou wasn't conscious enough to distinguish Kaiba's voice.  
  
"The home of Jounouchi Katsuya, that's what you said. Well, give a message to Shizuka." The arrogant voice wasn't asking, it was ordering.  
  
Jou exploded. The thought of some crazy person calling in the middle of the night and ordering him, Jounouchi Katsuya, to do something! Then he calmed down, and nearly froze as his memory raced. Shizuka… He shivered as he remembered that quiet and shy sister he had, and the face that she wore when he had seen her yesterday. Jou was sure she was beaten up and whoever calling now must surely be the one who had beaten Shizuka. He would not let a guy like that, for it sounded like a guy, live.  
  
"No."  
  
"What? You must. Otherwise she'll lose her newest position…" The voice let each word flow into Jou's mind as Jou cast a nervous glance at the peaceful Shizuka, sleeping on top of her stacks of books.  
  
"No. Why should I? She was badly treated, and…" Jou was getting mad now, and his senses became clearer. Shizuka heard her brother raising his voice, and slowly but surely her mind woke up from its dreamlike state.  
  
"Fine, then she'll lose what she just got. Or to say, what she hasn't gotten." The voice was dripping of sarcasm.  
  
Jou's ears perked and his eyes widened. He realized it was that arrogant bastard Kaiba who was talking.  
  
"You…" Jou didn't finish as Shizuka grabbed the telephone and talked into it.  
  
"I'm really sorry, I promise I'll be there tomorrow," she desperately whispered into the mouth-piece while giving Jou a look of rebuke.  
  
Click.  
  
-  
  
"Don't think we're finished with you yet!" The gang leader called out to Shizuka as the auburn-haired girl ran for her life.  
  
Today was the important day. It was the first day of her first job. It wasn't something to celebrate, but at least she had gotten a job. However, those girls who were her rivals for the position she had right now were hounding her. Not the greatest thing, considering that she was actually working for the Kaiba Seto.  
  
She threw a glance back, as she ran faster and faster. Her feet unconsciously moved towards her apartment, and then her brain signaled the nerves to stop. She swirled around and started to run in the other direction where the center of the city was.  
  
Then she stopped again. She had forgotten her work uniform. A black and white suit was lying on her bed in the apartment. She ran up the stairs and unlocked the rusty lock with difficulty. A minute later Shizuka was in a hurry to Kaiba Corp, for now she was late. But at least she was dressed.  
  
With a bag in one hand and a map in another, Kawai Shizuka navigated through the big city. From fifty meters away she could see the tall tower. The ticking of her clock reminded her to hurry up. She started running against the strong wind.  
  
In a flurry Shizuka's map blew away. The fragile piece of paper blew and then fell into a lake, sinking to the bottom. She panicked, for she was lost without that map. She had no idea where anything was, much less Kaiba Corporation building.   
  
All the people were looking at her in a weird way, so she didn't dare to ask them. Shizuka walked blindly on her own.  
  
It didn't help.  
  
This had to be the ultimate bad luck day.  
  
-  
  
"You're thirty minutes late," the woman at the head entry called out to Shizuka.  
  
"I know, I know…" Shizuka muttered as she stepped into the elevator and took it to the top floor.  
  
She almost crashed into a big cart.  
  
"Sorry, I'm so sorry…" The poor girl muttered again as she slowly looked up to a figure looming over her.  
  
"It's okay. I assume you're new here?" The red-haired woman smiled. She picked up a package that Shizuka had knocked off the cart and put it back.  
  
"Yes. I'm here for a secretary position…" Shizuka trailed off as she didn't know what to say. This was the first time she was speaking to someone from a company. It wasn't all that exciting, but the air of respect and honor made Shizuka behave like she would in school. Except this time, she couldn't slip into her invisibility. This time, she'd have to take whatever people dished out.  
  
"Oh, you must be the new secretary!" the woman exclaimed happily as she started to sort through the mail cart, "By the way, my name is Arizawa Kyoko. What's yours?"  
  
"Kawai Shizuka."  
  
"Such a cute name!" the woman smiled happily as she stepped out of the elevator and onto the fourteenth floor.  
  
Shizuka waved.  
  
"See you later!" Arizawa disappeared behind some white-washed posts.  
  
Well, it wasn't so bad. At least she had made one friend. Hopefully she would get many more. Too bad that she didn't know what to do, except to go to her designated floor which was the eighteenth. She pressed the button and realized she had forgotten her bag at the reception.  
  
Hopefully Jou would have all the good luck that she wasn't having.  
  
-  
  
"This is your desk, this is our place, and you just talk into the phone, read the papers, sign then and do stuff like that. Any questions?" the brash Haranda Sakura had already showed her all of a day's work in ten minutes.  
  
"No, Mrs. Haranda. Shizuka slowly walked to her desk, thinking that it had to be a dream.  
  
This different world inside, this quiet world with those humming florescent lights… An occasional phone call or two… This world where papers shuffled and keyboard taps were cars… This universe composed of different rules different from everyday. This was life.  
  
Shizuka woke up from her daydream by a funny cell phone theme song. She located her desk. It was brown, old and ugly. The lacquer had worn off on some parts, two imprints of coffee mugs were set in the cheap plywood, and the desk lamp hung on a thin thread. But to her, it looked like a new life.  
  
She shuffled the papers on her desk. There were at least fifty single sheets and double so many stapled ones. She picked up an old pen, shook it a few times before she realized it was broken.  
  
Everything here was so… used. It was a routine exercise, with those humans acting more than robots than Homo sapiens. Cheap plywood, corners of old posters, and an empty spot for the missing computer – she assumed she had to bring it herself. But it was a job, a wonderful, fancy, at not to say at least, professional job. She inhaled the office air before she started to look through the papers.  
  
And so began the first day on the first job of… definitely not the first Kawai Shizuka.  
  
-  
  
"You look tired," Arizawa commented as Shizuka decided to sit beside her at the coffee pause. After all, Arizawa was the only one that Shizuka knew. She knew for sure that Haranda would probably wrinkle her nose at Shizuka sitting beside her, besides, Arizawa was quite nice.  
  
"Yeah…" Shizuka trailed off. Why did she always do that when Arizawa was there?  
  
"First day, it's a new world in here. Welcome, honey. Anyway, you'll get used to this," Arizawa grinned and took a big bite in a chocolate muffin.  
  
"That looks good," Shizuka commented with her brain on something else. Yet another lame thing said to a future friend. This had to be the worst day ever.  
  
"It sure is. Wanna have some?" Arizawa smiled but Shizuka declined the generous offer, mumbling that she had money herself.  
  
After getting a cup of coffee and a chocolate muffin (because Arizawa so wanted Shizuka to try some), she relaxed into her seat and let her ears catch the gossip. It was a trick, or rather, skill that she had learned in school after being so invisible for so many years.  
  
"I heard there is this new one coming in a week…"  
  
"What?! You mean there will be yet another one coming?"  
  
"We have enough with one personal secretary…"  
  
"Didn't you see Mr. Kaiba go insane? Another one will drive him into the asylum!"  
  
"Shush! Don't say that about our boss…"  
  
"I heard you. Yes, there will be a new one coming in a week. No, don't look at me like that," a black-haired man in a stylish suit was sharply reprimanding the gossiping staff.  
  
The people there seemed to have quite a big reserve of respect for him, for some of them even stood up and bowed. Others weren't quite so respectful, just nodding and continuing to sip their coffee while nodding off to a nap.  
  
"It's the secondary big boss. Hikari Kazushi," Arizawa whispered as she stood up and bowed while nudging Shizuka to do the same.  
  
He turned around and stared Shizuka right in the eye before she bowed and stared at her intently, as if he was daring her to stare back. Shizuka, having been taught good manners all of her life, looked down and kept her mouth quiet, even if she really wanted to test the boundaries. This wasn't the time for it though; this was the time for respect and admiration.  
  
He seemed satisfied by her graceful appearance and moved on to inspect some other workers who weren't up and bowing.  
  
Shizuka was safe from this powerful and quite dangerous man, for this time. Before she had time to think, Arizawa poked and mentioned to bow again as Hikari left the room.  
  
-  
  
Fifty single papers signed, hundred stapled one signed. Some of the requests were so outrageous, but none actively went against the rules, so they had all to be passed onto the great, grand Mr. Kaiba.  
  
Shizuka sighed as she looked through the last paper, which was a lawsuit claiming that Kaiba Corp. had stolen property from another company in order to build the Grand Kaiba Land.  
  
Did the guy have to be so full of himself, naming everything after him? Shizuka thought as she passed on this file, while taking a sip out of her coffee cup. To her disappointment it showed to be empty.  
  
An afternoon's hard work was done, and she had worked two hours late. Arizawa had mentioned that semi-boss Hikari would surely watch Shizuka for at least two days, so she'd better finish her work. Shizuka had gratefully accepted this advice and stayed late.  
  
Anyway, she'd risk wrath in any way possible, either from Jou or the company. Shizuka made a mental apology to Jou as she finished the last of her papers, an order about a laptop computer loan to her. When she looked at the signature, she recognized the fancy and overdone writing by Arizawa Kyoko.  
  
"Thanks, Arizawa," Shizuka thought as she happily signed on the paper and answered another ten tedious calls before picking up her bag and locking her cubicle for the day.  
  
She stepped into the elevator and almost pushed the basement button stead of ground floor.  
  
-  
  
"I demand to be in service today!" a green-haired woman was angrily spitting at the poor woman behind the reception desk.  
  
"I'm sorry miss, but this contract here says that you will start work in a week," the woman tried to reply, but got cut off by another tantrum.  
  
"I will not tolerate this! Where is Kaiba? He promised that I could work today!" The woman snarled at the lady who shrank back in her seat. Never had there been such a woman… The reception lady cringed as she thought of her future in a week.  
  
The green-haired woman with the icy blank eyes cast a glance in the lobby, and she caught a tired rabbit in her eye. She excused herself and rushed to put herself in front of Shizuka with a dignity of a high-class woman.  
  
"You're the new secretary, aren't you…?" the low, musical voice was like toxic nectar that compelled the tired Shizuka to reply.  
  
"Yes… This is my first day…" Shizuka replied as her eyelids drooped.  
  
"And what's your name, dear?" The alluring scent of perfume confused the poor girl so much she simply had to reply.  
  
"Kawai Shizuka," Shizuka answered. In a second she woke up to her usual self and hurried past the woman, afraid of what would happen if it got too dark… If Jou had to get out there to meet her again. No, she mustn't make such troubles for her big brother, he had enough hardships as it was.  
  
"Ah… Kawai Shizuka… That name I'll keep in mind." The woman looked at the spot Shizuka had left long after she had rushed home. She carelessly filed her nails as she echoed the name in her mind and the lobby.  
  
Unknowingly, Kawai Shizuka had gotten her first enemy on her first day on her first job.  
  
-  
  
A/N: I have no idea how a corporation works. Yes, my uncle happens to be CEO of a small electronics company, but I still don't know. It was just estimation with experience of the DFCI "daycare". (Please professors, don't get insulted. Plus, I do have to credit them for the idea later on in the story…)  
  
Appreciation Note: I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed up to now. Thank you all… To show appreciation, I have decided to actually "answer" a question here.  
  
My preferred coupling? I really don't want to tell because it will ruin the story. Although Kaiba and Kisara (Memory World) is perfectly fine with me. Oh, Jou and Mai isn't that bad either (hint hint)… By the way, Anzu will have her first appearance in the next chapter (without any Shizuka, that is)…  
  
Please review! You know the deal. Three reviews and chapter four gets posted. If not, then I'll let this remain for two weeks or so before I delete it. (I have a tendency to delete stories, because I think they're just awful.) 


	4. Chapter 4: Splash

Chapter 4: _Splash_  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any other trademarked things included in this chapter. I probably don't even own the plot. So please don't sue me, I have a enough of a hard time trying to get enough money to buy the 5th volume of DNAngel.  
  
A/N: I raised the rating on this, because this chapter does have a lot of suggestive stuff. The genre might be changed too.  
  
Note to Reader: I think you'll get more out of this if you read each sentence carefully.  
  
-  
  
Burger County was the closest food place to the high tower of Kaiba Corp. It was about as big as a normal shop, and had three stories plus a nice, dark basement. As the name suggests, Burger County serves burgers and fast food. Running this fast food place required a staff of about twenty people. One of those people just happened to be Masaki Anzu, a second-level waitress working part-time without consent from her school.  
  
There were two levels of waitress-ness. One of them was the first level, in which the waitress would never be thought of getting kicked out. The other was the level all the other people were shoved in, mainly because they didn't have any "special" relationship to the restaurant owner. Anzu had worked there in five months, working very hard but still haven't reached the first-level waitress-ness. This was probably because Anzu was that kind of girl who did not wish to have a "special" relationship with the owner. She was just there for money.  
  
It had been Anzu's life-long dream to become a dancer. Obviously for a girl, her favorite was ballet. The restaurant pay was enough for her dancing classes, or almost enough… She still had to stay in at the week-ends sometimes when there wasn't anything urgent such as a Duel Monsters event.  
  
However, the poor girl wouldn't have too much luck in a lightly windy day as that day.  
  
-  
  
"More coffee for table 5!" Anzu's manager yelled at her as she tried to flip a hamburger while using the other hand to fill up a cup of hot coffee.  
  
"A Ham-Meal Complete for table 6," Anzu's fake chirp was a few octaves higher than usual when she delivered the meal, probably because of all the stress this day.  
  
Today had to be one of these bad luck days… It simply had to! The day had started off with lateness, as Jou was unable to take care of himself home after a fight. The manager had yelled at her before the big boss came, and that just made the whole thing worse. After five coffee spills as the thought of a huge homework waiting to be done at 10 PM grew bigger and bigger, Anzu was reduced to flipping hamburgers. Serving people came in second hand, as her mood grew worse and worse with the boss throwing glances at the quite revealing uniform. She was close to thwacking the old man with the saucepan, but Anzu controlled herself and was lucky to just get a second-degree burn which had to be treated immediately. Another hour wasted, homework would begin at 11 PM instead. Drat! The sixth spill…  
  
"This is the last time! No more spilling!" the manager yelled at Anzu as he secretly set fire on her. He enjoyed every moment and made sure that small, innocent flame would be a big, nice one.  
  
"Chicken Burger for table 2!" Anzu's voice made a new record pitch as she drowned in the unbearable sweaty sea of stress and confusion.  
  
"Pretty chic…" one of the older men began, but Anzu's cold glare made him stop straight away. Did they always have to make such lame jokes? This was a food place, not a bar, and those people should've gone to a bar if they needed this kind of… company. The thought made Anzu mentally take yet another sharp knife and slowly cut her uniform to a thousand pieces.  
  
There were another ten, twelve orders to make until the break, so she made them. Her burns were bad, but she didn't have time to tend them and neither did anyone else. The whole peaceful day with the brisk wind and the sun's smile were fading quickly as her inner being was tortured in flames. Blackness was looming over her to complete everything, to follow orders… She wanted to scream.  
  
"Like you asked sir, a Meal Complete," Anzu muttered her argument to the old guy who was picking on his food for the eighth time and suppressed her desire to throw the tray in his face with everything on it.  
  
"Break time," the boss reminded her as his lips unconsciously drew themselves to a sadist's smile. Apparently he wouldn't let go of that stupid idea yet.  
  
She was saved by the manager, who decided to be on her side this time, but her inner temperature jumped quite a bit as she looked at this man with the smirk. She knew what he wanted, and he was not going to get it, even if she had to sacrifice the first-level waitress position for that.  
  
-  
  
"And now we declare this conference to be ended," a middle-aged man with a serious suit with an even more serious face declared after at least ten coughs to attract to the sleeping table's attention.  
  
Another man recited the contract with a bored voice as Kaiba looked out of the window. They all tried to hide it so well, but they were all at the boring place beyond boredom.  
  
"How about some food? I saw a place on the way here…" the declarer suggested. He was quickly stuffing everything in his black, elegant briefcase until he had a better idea and took out a few notes.  
  
"Why not?" The young one who had read the contract five times didn't try to pretend anything.  
  
"But what about the new Kaiba Land?" a fat man whined and glared at Kaiba. Kaiba wasn't too happy at the declarer suggesting food first, but this fat man wasn't too good either.  
  
"Gentlemen, we could talk over it over a nice dinner," Kaiba ensured in his diplomatic voice and made sure everyone knew who was in charge. It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.  
  
They understood immediately. The middle-aged man quickly gave his okay and the youngster not long after. The only real enemy was the plump man, but thoughts of food swayed him and he agreed.  
  
"So…" the middle-aged man stopped himself as the unsaid question hang in the air. Where would they eat?  
  
There were good restaurants in Domino of course, but the tenth time having escargot in a week wasn't too appealing to any of them. Kaiba had his thoughts on another French food, which was his favorite. He didn't say anything though.  
  
"No…" the "enemy" muttered as he put another lengthy argument on why they should eat those refined foods, for the dignity and all other businessmen of the country. The youngster had enough of these ridiculous notions about patriotism and went his own way instead.  
  
"Why not fast food?" he asked. It was shocking. Any dignified businessman knows that that kind of food is the low among low, and none should eat such. Yet this odd but new thought was welcomed into several brains.  
  
"It's okay for me," the experienced but fair businessman agreed as his overweight companion drooled at the thought of those delicious golden sticks. The only one who wasn't taking this so well was Kaiba.  
  
Fast food? The thought was so ridiculous Kaiba poked it into another gray mist of his mind as he silently accepted it. That was the ways of the world of business, and he wasn't about to miss out on the greatest land offer, even if it was over a humiliating meal of hamburgers and French fries.  
  
The youngster was the most enthusiastic of them all, and he made himself the trouble of calling the restaurant they would arrive to in fifteen minutes. After all, he had learned some rules. One of them was to not surprise in situations such as this. Unknown to him, he had surprised at lot.  
  
Though the biggest surprise would wait in the restaurant he had called, Burger County.  
  
-  
  
"Hurry up! A business team is coming over here!" the manager shouted excitedly as he waved the phone order in the air. Having worked years in a fast food place, this was the first time some important people came to a fast food restaurant. Emphasis on the "fast food" part.  
  
"Number Five, faster!" he yelled at the poor girl who was already scared to death and flipping burgers so fast you couldn't see if it was two or twenty. Anzu was Number Seven, so soon she'd probably receive a yell from the hyperventilating man.  
  
The staff rushed to get things ready for the prestigious business team on the third floor while Anzu and two other poor girls were left to serve the men who stared so hungrily at them. Number Five and Number Six were two mild girls. They stared on the floor from all the confusion, having been offered work only four days ago. The boss had a tendency to fire those who went against his wishes. Against her better knowledge, Anzu began giving orders to these girls. After all, taking initiative is supposed to be a good thing.  
  
A group of four fine-dressed businessmen in black suits were arriving. These had to be the guests who made the phone call that had made this evening even more stressful, topping it off with a 10-point manager versus boss yelling contest.  
  
She was running up the stairs to inform the manager when she made a mistake. The boss was walking against her with his intentions clearly written on his face. Behind him was the manager yelling at a row of confused first-level waitresses to hurry up for the fifth time. Anzu was just stepping on the last stair when the boss loomed in front of her. Uh-oh.  
  
Without thinking, Anzu pushed her boss away and strode towards her manager. The irritation of the whole day that was bottled finally unleashed on the boss. Sadly, it had a domino effect. The boss fell on the manager; the manager fell on the waitresses and so on. The last waitress fell over a table and crashed straight into a big, saw-jawed plant.  
  
As the bedlam was slowly returning to the usual routine exercise for honored guests, Anzu thought of the ultimate bad luck thing. Now she'd get fired for sure. For a second it seemed so, with the manager taking a tomato's face and all the girls trying to catch the boss's attention.  
  
His attention, however, wasn't on all of those pretty girls. It was on her. He slowly walked forward to her on unsteady legs. One of them seemed somewhat broken because he was limping.  
  
"Finally used violence, didn't you…" he gave her a wide grin full of blackened teeth, straightened up himself and began to convince the manager to not fire her.  
  
Anzu was somewhat happy over that last waitress falling into the plant. She had never liked her. It was one of those slimy women who always tried to seduce the men at work and never doing anything properly. To Anzu's luck, the waitress wouldn't be able to move in two weeks, it seemed like.  
  
"They're down there!" a waitress squealed of delight as she saw the businessmen entering the restaurant. In an instant, every soul rushed to take care of these important customers. Anzu sighed, then followed after them while still thanking whatever power that had made her keep her job.  
  
The staff made sure these elegant people knew they were being adored. Girls made little dances when they presented the meals and their radiant faces. The manager used a ridiculous loud voice when he read the menu. Even the other customers were casting curious glances at these new guests. However, the boss wasn't too happy. His face darkened at the waitresses' admiration of these younger men. His eyes turned to agates when they moved closer, and he seemed like a young child desperately clutching to all his dolls, only to lose them one by one. His eye stopped at Anzu, for she didn't seem as excited as the other girls.  
  
She saw him looking at her, and once again she knew she was in serious trouble. To make herself less available, Anzu pretended to be so completely absorbed by these new customers. To her they made no difference, customers were customers, money was money, and dance was dance.  
  
The boss moved closer.  
  
Now she had to do something. The first thing on her mind was to run, the initial "fight-or-flight" reaction built inside every human. She suppressed her fear and walked nonchalantly towards the boss, asking if she could serve and swerved in the last second to be touched by that old thing.  
  
He was disappointed, but he was sure there would be more opportunities to get her.  
  
Anzu's heart beat faster at her nearly-failed attempt to rescue herself. The only thing she could do was to indulge herself in these businessmen's order, and she happily did so.  
  
She placed four cokes and another four cups of coffee on the best tray they had, and brought them to the table. The squealing girls were too busy scrutinizing the men to notice her. A voice told her to put the cups down, and she put them where the voice was leading to, without thought. Her brain was tired to death, and the girls were training their high pitches. Suddenly that feeling of throwing up made her panic and set the tray randomly. It was the ultimate mistake.  
  
**Splash**.  
  
All the liquid the eight cups contained splashed over the businessman sitting beside the window. In a haze, Anzu apologized again and again as all those girls got a perfect chance to yell at her.  
  
"You're going to get fired and never showing your face again!" the angry man snarled at her. She looked down at her feet in shame. Tears leaked from her eyes as she twisted her hurt hands; they were on fire.  
  
"You're fired!" the manager yelled. It was superfluous, of course. Anzu was out of the door and her skin was peeling itself off by her brutal contact. She felt like her hand, helpless and dying.  
  
Her feet knew the way to her destination. She unlocked the door and threw herself on her bed, crying and wailing. It didn't serve any purpose, but it made her feel better.  
  
When Anzu got control of herself again, her first rational thought was about a job. Now that she had gotten fired, she had to find a new job. It would be very hard, since the schools had forbidden jobs and she could not go to where she was before. The stores her, the restaurants knew her, the shops knew her.   
  
She twisted her hands again in despair. The dying fire returned with small ants biting into her skin. Anzu repeated this action several times, and sank to a pool of sadness on her floor as the windows opened by the cold wind.  
  
The night breeze was cold and refreshing; it stilled her aching pain physically, but not inside. A photo fell in front of her, and she looked at it. It was a photo of two girls, smiling at the camera and dressed in kimonos. One was brown-haired and had blue eyes while the other one was blonde and shone with energy. Suddenly she knew who she'd call to still her heart.  
  
-  
  
"But Mr. Kaiba…" the manager tried to convince the great Kaiba Seto not to leave Burger County. He was failing, and Kaiba just moved him out of his way while getting out with his fellow gentlemen.  
  
"Let's get out of here." That was enough of a command, and the fat man unwillingly obeyed as he gave the burgers a last look while the drool practically ran out of his mouth and on the floor.  
  
There were no other restaurants nearby, and the sudden dark clouds warned of a nasty downfall. The men retreated to Kaiba Corp's high tower as small icy balls fell by the window.  
  
"I suppose that was nothing done," the middle-aged man exclaimed sadly as he looked out of the window.  
  
"At least we got to see a restaurant," the youngster cheerfully pointed out.   
  
Kaiba wasn't too happy at that. He had gotten the restaurant on his best shirt. The light blue shirt would have to be thoroughly washed before it could be used again. The stain of the coke and the coffee wouldn't fade in a while. But they'd fade before his memory did. The pride in his soul did not allow that foolish waitress to live. Just wait… He'd get her for this humiliating evening.  
  
"Too bad we weren't able to eat…" the overweight man sighed sadly as he drooled one last time at the lost burgers and those girls.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to get over it. Right, gentlemen?" the youngster's optimism was beginning to irritate Kaiba.  
  
"That might take awhile," the middle-aged man muttered quietly. Kaiba heard him and agreed mentally.  
  
"But what about Kaiba Land?" the chubby man whined.  
  
It was going to be a very long evening.  
  
-  
  
"Christine, I swear, it all happened!" Anzu was finishing her vivid explanation to her blonde friend on the phone. She had recalled that memory of this awful accident and described it perfectly to her exchange friend.  
  
"Yes…" Christine Wood imagined the scene and made a few sympathetic noises.  
  
Christine Wood was one of the rare and lucky Americans who got to come over to Japan as an exchange student. It wasn't a normal school exchange; it was a dance school exchange. Both Anzu and Christine were excellent dancers and they got to live in each other's place for one month. Christine had been there just when the Duel Monsters mania had spread to Japan. They quickly became good friends and even now they still kept in touch with an occasional phone call or two each month.  
  
"You know the dance class..." Anzu was ashamed to have to mention this, but she needed help.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I told you about that… It's true… So now I don't have a job…" Anzu's voice shrunk to a small whisper.  
  
"Yes, but I think…" Christine racked her brain for the answer. She remembered Anzu having a different part-time job there. That one…. The one with the gun thing and that little guy who was so interested in Anzu. Now, who did she work for again? Oh yes… Christine searched her memory banks and finally found the answer. At that time, Anzu was hired by Kaiba Corp.  
  
"Christine?" Anzu's voice sounded worried.  
  
"I'm here. Anyway, didn't you work for that Kaiba guy?" Christine asked, knowing that Anzu would probably remember as she was such an organized person.  
  
"Yes…" Anzu remembered that well. The obnoxious guy had made her work with that annoying little brat and ordered her to kill her friends! As if she'd go back there again!  
  
"I remember they said that you didn't really complete your job and then they wanted compensation…" Christine was making a good guess now.  
  
"Yes…" Anzu's face darkened as she remembered. In a way, she was still bound to Kaiba Corp.  
  
"I think you'd better work it off before they sue you. They'll probably pay you…" Christine's voice drifted off as she worked hard to remember.  
  
"Yes, Christine. They did want compensation. Thanks for the help."  
  
"You're welcome. Bye Anzu!" Christine couldn't help but notice that Anzu didn't sound too happy.  
  
"Bye."  
  
Click.  
  
The last time was awful, an unfair fight and it was close that her friends got killed. This time it would probably get worse. Oh well, what other options did she have? Anzu's head landed softly on the pillow as her eyelids drooped. Kaiba would have to wait until another day. Sleep washed over the tired girl as she sank into a worried slumber.  
  
-  
  
A/N: What did you think of this chapter? Please review! You know the deal. Three reviews and chapter five gets posted. If not, I'll go and find a nice grilling place after two weeks or so. 


	5. Chapter 5: Medicinal Mystery

_Chapter 5_: Medicinal Mystery  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I don't own Yuugiou. Happy?  
  
A/N: I'm sorry for the very long wait. I've had lots of things to do, my cousin came over here and started to hang out, plus I'm making my own web page and trying to learn how to do brushes in Adobe Photoshop. So bear with me.  
  
Note to reader: I think you will get more out of this if you read each sentence carefully.

-The golden sun shone through the drapes of his room. His brain signaled the beginning of the morning. He was awake. In fact, he had been awake the later part of the night to finish his programming.  
  
His eyes squinted towards the bright sunlight and he yawned, as if he was tired. The truth was, he was exhausted. But Kaiba Seto wasn't that kind of a person who'd admit it. The dark rings under his eyes revealed that he had spent the majority of all nights in the month to this project. Ten empty cups of brown substance had kept him up and given him a restless four-hour sleep.  
  
This was it. This was the final stage of the production. Only a few more tweaks and the product would be done. Then he could move onto a new one, working as hard as he already had.  
  
Kaiba's persona did not allow him to be lazy and do nothing all day. He had to do something worthwhile. That was one of the first lessons from his stepfather, who had forced him into the company and the name of Kaiba.  
  
His thin, long fingers tapped the keyboard in a confident way that his whole intensive focus on the screen only added to it. It was a façade, of course. Behind this young, seemingly energetic teen, lurked a middle-aged man with a stern face and lost to the cause of work.  
  
A note popped up on the computer screen. Kaiba read it without any interest, but froze when he saw the signature. It was a letter for the yearly examination of his family doctor. If all had gone Kaiba's way, then they wouldn't have needed any. But Mokuba had insisted, and Kaiba had given up that time.  
  
Kaiba looked at his electronic agenda and reserved time for the inspection. It wasn't that he liked it or anything. To tell the truth, Kaiba utterly hated these annual check-ups. He had never gotten sick; the guy had an excellent immune system. So why bother with a doctor when illness never comes?  
  
Contrary to Kaiba's belief, he was ill. And he had been ill for a long time.-The breakfast was served in the dining room. However, none of the Kaiba brothers arrived there at the designated time. The servants ate their food quietly as each of them prepared for the day.  
  
The younger of the two, Kaiba Mokuba, was in the kitchen. He was busy trying to snatch some of the more expensive foods. Mokuba had just been up, and he needed to use his great metabolism for something. Sadly, the something had to be this.  
  
He was quite satisfied with himself. He had tricked that maid so he could enter the kitchen. He even managed to grab her entrance card when she wasn't looking. Then he had gone into the kitchen and was now rummaging through a bunch of ready-to-eat frog legs. Mokuba mentally threw up at the thought of eating frog for breakfast, as he continued his little adventure in the cupboards.  
  
A few steps on the marble floor made him stop. Another sound of crunching came from the door leading to the outside.  
  
He was caught.  
  
Kaiba entered the kitchen first, looking for more coffee. He was thoroughly disappointed at that personal maid's behavior for these few weeks. She had tried to get her little hands on him every time she had had the chance. It was utterly annoying, and Kaiba was ready to do what was necessary. His eyes searched for the coffee maker, but what he saw made him raise an eyebrow. His own brother was…  
  
The door to the outside opened.  
  
"Kaiba!" The maid ran towards him with her arms open. Kaiba managed to switch direction and avoid being hugged in the last second. She followed him with a fast pace that made his mind scream in annoyance.  
  
He wanted coffee. Not her.  
  
"Please, Kaiba?" The girl looked up at him with the blurry puppy-dog eyes. Kaiba made an indignant snort as he thought of another ten ways to make this girl suffer.  
  
"Well, if you're anything, make some coffee," Kaiba muttered to get rid of her. The girl squealed and started to run towards the coffee maker. Where did she get such an energy, and especially in the morning?  
  
She stopped as she realized the coffee maker was in the other direction. The girl ran again, this time towards Kaiba.  
  
He sighed.  
  
A pool of water was just in front of him.  
  
She slipped. With a scream of terror, the girl accidentally landed on Kaiba. Kaiba stepped out of the way, not wanting to be seen with a girl in his arms, and she fell.  
  
The floor was hit with a force that made the laid marble shake. The maid was still for a second, and went on sobbing furiously. Pools of tears ran on the floor as she waded in shame to make such a mistake in front of her great idol.  
  
Kaiba was utterly annoyed. It was only morning, and already there had been an accident. He couldn't afford to have any of those more, so he decided to take the necessary course of action.  
  
"You're fired."  
  
The poor girl cried even harder as she barely made out of the door.  
  
"That wasn't really nice," commented Mokuba.  
  
"I'm not really nice," Kaiba replied.-He was just about to enter his limousine when the computer beeped. Drat. He had to pick up Mokuba for the appointment with the doctor. He yelled an order to his driver and sank into the leather seats. He was tired, and coffee wasn't allowed at school.  
  
Two blocks from the mansion, another notice popped up. Great, just great. No need to bring Mokuba today. He yelled out another order to the driver.  
  
What he didn't see in the rear-view mirror was a small vein was bulging in his forehead, almost invisibly bursting.-Dr. Takeshi was impatiently waiting for his next patient. After that, he'd have the dreaded annual meeting with Kaiba Seto. Kaiba was a riddle. He was a mystery that no doctor had ever figured out. How did the guy work 24/7 and still be able to function? He was determined figure out the mystery.  
  
His pocket bell beeped. The nurse was asking if he would see the patient right now.  
  
Suddenly the door shook. It was his patient, banging the door as hard as she could.  
  
"Doctor, doctor! I'm dying in 59 seconds!" the crazy woman shrieked.  
  
"Please wait a minute, the doctor will be helping you soon," the nurse's reply sounded strained because she had just run from the other end of the hallway to prevent the patient from hammering the door in.  
  
Several other patients in the waiting room let out a cascade of nervous laughs. Takeshi himself did not understand what was so funny.  
  
Suddenly he wondered what he had done to God to deserve these people. Apparently it was a lunatic. Those were always nutcases who screamed incoherently while being forced to sit on a chair and behave normally.  
  
And then Kaiba would come. Dr. Takeshi considered retiring early. Why did he have to get stuck with the worst cases in the entire world?  
  
The doctor opened the door and let the lunatic in.-The eye-catching limousine with its logo of KC entered the parking lot. The waiting room people went all crazy over the fact that someone as famous as Kaiba would be visiting that Dr. Takeshi.  
  
Kaiba exited his limousine and moved towards the reception with great confidence and grace. He asked the secretary with a haughty voice where Dr. Takeshi was as she nearly fainted of awe then moved towards the room as all those people sitting there wished they could be like him. Just like him, being the most powerful man in the world.  
  
The most powerful man in the world wasn't currently wishing to be himself. He entered the room with an air of annoyance and looked at the doctor.  
  
The doctor performed all the necessary tests and such. As any human made mistakes, Takeshi didn't notice the high caffeine rate in Kaiba's blood. He went on testing.  
  
"So," Kaiba uttered in a nasty voice, "What problems do we have this time?"  
  
It was a challenge, of course. Any doctor but the great Takeshi would've backed off by now and admit that everything was all right. Takeshi didn't think so. He knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.  
  
"I'm waiting…" Kaiba snarled spitefully as he tapped his fingers out of habit on the table. He wished to have his computer under the roughened flesh, but examinations forbade that. The great CEO smirked as he saw his doctor pace in order to find a way to contradict the fact that he was perfectly healthy.  
  
Dr. Takeshi pondered. There was an aura over Kaiba as there were over other men, but this was somehow different, more intimidating and haunting. He saw Kaiba's fingers tap and the gentle shiver that ran through them. Then Takeshi took notice of the man's forehead where a small vein was bulging.  
  
It was so easy. The answer was so easy he found it ludicrous. All those years spent on the great medicinal mystery of Kaiba and the solution was right in there the whole time! It was one of those funny questions where you look too far just to realize the answer is in front of your nose.  
  
The illness, of course, was overwork.  
  
Takeshi marveled at his own cleverness as he declared, "Mr. Kaiba, you have some problems with overwork."  
  
Kaiba wasn't expecting this. His glared at the man who dared to oppose him. He formed his reply.  
  
"I will continue to work."  
  
"You may work, but what you need right now is a rest," Dr. Takeshi lucidly said. The impudence!  
  
"I cannot afford a rest or a vacation. My company needs me."  
  
"Trust me Mr. Kaiba, the world can live without you for a few days. The world can live without me too," the experienced doctor said as he quickly scribbled on a piece of paper. He handed the paper to Kaiba and smiled slyly.  
  
Kaiba read it.  
  
"You have no right to command me to stay home!" He exploded.  
  
In the end, Dr. Takeshi won by calling two colleagues and four nurses to help Kaiba home and make sure he wouldn't go to work again. They even confiscated his newly ordered laptop.  
  
It was crude and heartless, Kaiba was that also.-Mokuba smirked to himself as he changed the game in his game console. Finally, his brother was going to stay home… for three weeks! This would be the best three weeks ever!  
  
He walked over to Kaiba's room where the doctors had strapped him into a bed and did the trademarked puppy-dog eyes.  
  
"Let's play, big brother!"  
  
Kaiba grumbled. It would be a long three weeks. And they would slowly inch by without any computers.-A/N: Okay, so I've decided to stop wallowing in self-pity. But still the same deal. Three reviews for this chapter gets chapter six.  
  
Anyway, I want to thank these people for reviewing regularly: 1, 2 and 3. Hm… Should I do reader reviews? It usually goes well… So please review! 


	6. Chapter 6: A Burden Too Heavy

Chapter 6: _A Burden Too Heavy_

__

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do not own any of the names. Do not rob me of my 59 crowns to buy the next issue of my manga. Please?  
  
A/N: Sorry for the long waiting time! My cousin is over here and I have to show her around… Plus that I got the crappy bike so I'm wallowing in self-pity. Umm… I **did **fall off it. Twice.  
  
Note to reader: I think you will get more out of this if you read each sentence carefully.  
  
-  
  
The sun's rays searched themselves into the room and fell on undesired places. The fluorescent lights hummed in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day, but the people inside this place weren't enjoying it at all. They were busily working and trying to hurry up everything so they could go home in time. The air of gloom and irritation hung over the office as a silent, malevolent cloud. Each of the workers had their own little black one hanging over them.  
  
This dreaded place was named Kaiba Corp.  
  
The great man himself was in his own beautiful glistening mansion, throwing things at the wall in frustration of not being able to work.  
  
Kawai Shizuka, his personal secretary, was getting all his work instead. She had had this burden in one week and she was considering quitting. Then a memory came in her mind…  
  
_"We're never giving up, right sis?" Jou smiled at her. Shizuka nodded as she smiled back.  
  
"Well, it is going to be hard…" Yuugi murmured.  
  
"We ain't no quitters!" Jou exclaimed._  
  
She just had to smile. Shizuka took the stack of papers and signed on some, and tore up other ridiculous offers. She took a dart and pinned five of them in on her roof, in a row.  
  
An outlet for her aggravation.  
  
"Hey girl, you're good," Arizawa Kyoko grinned at the hazel-eyed girl.  
  
"Arizawa? When did you come in?" Shizuka turned around, surprised at being caught.  
  
"Been watchin' ya the whole week, ya know? You're real good with that dart. Go and enter a competition or sumthin', dun waste your talents here!" Arizawa cried out the last words so everyone could hear it.  
  
"Shush! Don't let anyone else know it… By the way, why are you here?" Shizuka wondered as she took out the silver tape guaranteed to stop Arizawa's big-mouth.  
  
"A package for missy Kawai herself, ye see!" Arizawa copied the western accent as she gave Shizuka a package.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Lesse what it is! It was big, hard and heavy. Can you guess it?" muttered Arizawa as Shizuka excitedly ripped open the package.  
  
It lay there. A lovely black computer lay there. It was of the newest model and especially custom-made for her. Shizuka gasped at the shininess of the laptop. She adored the curved framings of the PC as her hand uncontrollably ran over the rough plastic again and again, just to make sure it wasn't a dream.  
  
"Hon, it ain't a dream…" Arizawa's comment turned to silence as she saw how Shizuka treated her newest office-owned item.  
  
Suddenly she was snapped back to reality, as a man in black suit stepped into her work space.  
  
"May I see it through?" Kazushi asked. Shizuka nodded silently as she unwillingly raced over her newly received computer.  
  
Maybe this was just a dream. Maybe now he'll take it and run away with it. I am not going to get this lovely computer anyway…   
  
Kazushi tapped her baby with familiarity. He handed it to her.  
  
"What did you do to it?" Shizuka managed to whisper as she took the heavy thing with shivering hands.  
  
She couldn't believe it! She still had it!  
  
"Just installed anti-virus software plus that I upgraded all the tools on it to the newest edition," Kazushi replied nonchalantly as he left.  
  
"That's so wicked cool!" Arizawa shouted as she ran over to check out Shizuka's newly received and upgraded computer.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Kazushi!" Shizuka called after him as she sat down with the black computer in her arms.  
  
Maybe this wasn't such a bad day after all.  
  
-  
  
Too bad all those schools just had to post their best student results on the board. It was just a way to cherish the great students and reproach the not-so-great ones.  
  
Shizuka ran past the board, in fear of being late. She had worked late last night and was utterly tired, but school was mandatory. She also had to keep her part-time job secret. Jou would probably kill her if he found out she was working for the great enemy. Kaiba.  
  
The auburn-haired girl huffed as she skidded into the classroom just before the teacher came in. She managed to sit on her spot, with the books in a mess.  
  
"The math test is today. Please put all your books away and take out a pen," Mr. Minamoto said.  
  
Shizuka put away her ruffled book bag and took out a black pencil. She saw the Kaiba Logo on it and changed it. The girl sighed as she received the paper from the teacher. She hoped she didn't look too bad.  
  
Contrary to what Shizuka thought, Mr. Minamoto did notice something was wrong. He saw the dark rings under her eyes, the slouched position and the dead gleam in her eyes. Mission Tracking Students was successful. He'd have to discuss this…  
  
Shizuka looked down at the paper with no interest. It was all so easy. Compared to the mathematical work she did at her job, this was daycare. She wrote down the answers to the multiple choice questions and then…  
  
X and Y and Z equals… Her eyelids began to droop as she slowly fell onto her desk. The pen slid out of her fingers and fell onto the floor.  
  
She was asleep.  
  
Mr. Minamoto regarded her with pity. Poor girl, she must've been quite tired. But what could make her so tired?  
  
He was getting an idea. An idea that was quite close to the truth.  
  
-  
  
Her brother grinned at her. He looked so childish and innocent as he strolled down the city streets of Domino.  
  
She sighed. Odd but true, she was the older one in sense of maturity even though he was older than her but she was… Oh, she'd have to stop thinking in terms of that. Shizuka sighed again.  
  
"Anything wrong, sis?" Jou asked with a smile.  
  
"Nah…" Shizuka trailed off as she looked at the setting sun. At this time Haranda would be telling someone in that sharp voice what they did wrong while Arizawa tried to calm them down.  
  
_"Hey, tomorrow we'll all take a day off! Haranda agreed! Come on, it will be so fun!" she had said._  
  
Oh Arizawa, what did you make me do?  
  
"Wanna watch me duel?" Jou's question snapped her back into reality.  
  
"No thanks," Shizuka replied with a sad face.  
  
"I'm very sure there is somethin' wrong with ya…" Jou looked at his sister with a suspicious expression as he took her hand.  
  
"Nothing, Jou. Just leave me alone."  
  
"You're tellin' ya own brotha' off!" Jou exclaimed as he waved his arms. "Ya can't do dat!"  
  
"I'm sorry Jou, it's just that…" Shizuka continued her sentence in thought, "I have this annoying job and I can't help but to wonder if I could quit. But I think Kaiba wouldn't let me…"  
  
She didn't have the heart to tell him about the job, much less that it was for Kaiba. She knew how much he had ripped their family up, and trashed her brother so badly.  
  
Now he was trashing her.  
  
She knew that, but it was too late to back away.  
  
Oh, if I only could've searched for another job!  
  
She was caught in the web of complications, where the threads spun on around her each second. Maybe she still had a chance of getting out.  
  
Just two simple words.  
  
**I quit.**  
  
But she couldn't. We need the money, she thought. We need it more than our pride.  
  
"Shizuka…?" Jou whispered.  
  
-  
  
Mr. Minamoto corrected the papers. His eyebrows shot up at one student's.  
  
So many red marks.  
  
On the top right corner the name was written in a trained, petite style. Kawai Shizuka.  
  
She had been the best of the best. She would never get below a 90. But now she did.  
  
Why? He thought as he continued to correct the papers in a machine-like manner. He remembered the tired face that he saw.  
  
She was definitely up to something.  
  
-  
  
The boards displayed the scores of that math test for a few days ago. Shizuka scanned it for her name.  
  
She found it, and shivered.  
  
Kawai Shizuka – 85%  
  
Oh no, she thought. Now her grades were beginning to drop. This job at Kaiba Corp. was asking too much of her.  
  
She simply had to quit.  
  
-  
  
A/N: Just by the way, do any of you like songfics? tries to look innocent  
  
Big thanks to: Lass, Unknown, Ileana DuBaer, Serenity, Bibliofile66, Tinyflyer02, LuvinAnime, Walis, Freakster, kikoken, Sphincter and PyroKittyKat for reviewing!  
  
Reader reviews for chapter five!  
  
**LuvinAnime**: Three weeks were totally random. Don't ask me why, I don't know myself. Thanks for sticking with me, being the sucker that I am..   
  
**PyroKittyKat**: I don't own much. grins Okay... Maybe then.. But I really do have to pull myself together and finish at least one story on so I can be proud of that. Even though pride is empty.  
  
**Sphincter**: Thanks so much for reviewing all the chappies! Your story is great, just too OOC..

Don't forget to review this chapter :) 


	7. Chapter 7: Mission Escape

Chapter Seven: _Mission Escape_  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do not own any of the names in the story. Sorry Mai, I kinda stole your name from the last chappie. But you've always told me that you'd allow it, right? So people, please don't sue me. (As it is right now, I don't even have enough money to D.N.Angel's book five. cries   
  
A/N: Okay, so my cousin left… So now I'll have more time except that I love reading books and I've read 48 books this summer. I always make it a must to write at least 1000 words per chapter, so please don't stare at me like that. I know this chapter is a little bit short…  
  
Note to reader: I think you will get more out of this if you read each sentence carefully.  
  
-  
  
He grumbled, throwing another of those leather-bound books towards the open fire. To his disappointment the fire refused to devour those animal remains. He grunted as he tried to sit upright in his bed.  
  
How pathetic this was. How pathetic he was. He frowned at the sight of himself.  
  
They should've known better. They should've known it wouldn't be possible to keep me in bed.  
  
He hoisted himself up, and as a result, the chains bound to his wrists and ankles clattered.  
  
How pathetic. In chains, like a dog. He snarled at the sight of himself in the mirror. He despised himself.  
  
He walked towards the mirror, and ran his hand through his hair. It was messy. Like the rest of the room. He shrugged and walked over to the golden-framed wardrobe as he searched for a somewhat decent suit.  
  
They had taken all his important belongings from him. His computer, his discs, his memory chips, and even his business suit! But they wouldn't win, oh no, they wouldn't…  
  
He smirked. Something must happen, and he will get out of this condemned place. Even if they had already kept him there against his will for two weeks out of three. He wasn't that kind of a man who would just happily live according to others. No, he made his own rules.  
  
Never again… Never any doctors again. His mind checked the plan again. It was so perfect. They just had to let him interview a long-time forgotten worker. And that worker was the perfect way to bring his nemesis, Motou Yuugi, down.  
  
He picked the blue shirt with the gray suit. It was the best he had. And the world wasn't in black or white, but that he would realize a long time later. He looked at himself in the mirror as he combed his hair. At some times, he could be as vain as a girl. Though he did not act like one, for he was the one who would bring fear and pain and hatred, a doom-bringer in his world.  
  
And he spitted at his stepfather for doing this to him.  
  
Then again, many thanks to old Mr. Kaiba for learning up a son just like himself. A clone, a clone that would continue this damned work until the end of time.  
  
They had taken all the sharp things out of his room. Everything there was practically soft and nothing was good enough to cut himself on. But a cut wouldn't do it. Death would do it better.  
  
Of course, all the windows made it resemble like a prison, so it was not like he could throw himself out. Oh no.  
  
He knew they hadn't won. But he knew another winner.  
  
Insanity was the victor. Slowly, it would consume him in its steel grip. But right now, he still had some of his mind available to sane use.  
  
He smirked as he picked up the telephone. Then he looked in the catalogue under M, Masaki Anzu.  
  
-  
  
Yes, you may, was the reply.  
  
Having been confined to his room, Kaiba now had a somewhat limited freedom to move in Domino. At least tomorrow, he thought bitterly.  
  
He prepared the paperwork as he put some reserve pens into the leather bag. His cobalt eyes never lifted from the papers as he continued to look outside the window.  
  
The telephone dangled.  
  
Their fault, of course. They'd have to pay the bill. And they would pay… In other ways.  
  
He shuffled through some papers on his desk. He looked at the documents. Perfect.  
  
Dr. Takeshi would never treat another patient after this.  
  
Then, only after it was all done, allowed Kaiba Seto himself to take care of the real reason for them letting him out.  
  
To re-hire Masaki Anzu.  
  
-  
  
The light drizzle covered the streets in small pools of water as a pair of gray, elegant shoes stepped over them. Kaiba was annoyed. He really wanted to throw that ridiculous baby blue umbrella into a garbage can. But that was something that went against all of him. He furrowed his brows in a mighty act of concentration.  
  
His eyes darted around, searching for men in black or small security cameras. A shiny thing! No, it was only a lady's swatch. Kaiba quickly stuffed the envelope into the mailbox as his eyes looked for hidden observers to his little charade. There were none.  
  
Then it was done.  
  
He smirked. Dr. Takeshi would be fired… soon. That brat had caused him to fall behind on two weeks' work! How did he dare!  
  
But oh so badly, he did. Kaiba muttered a curse under his breath as he continued his long strides over to the park, where he would meet his employee-to-be. It wouldn't be easy.  
  
As Kaiba reached the park, he saw the girl. The brown-haired girl with the sour face expression was standing there, waiting for him. She wore a modern girl's attire, and her pink umbrella reflected in the light.  
  
Kaiba groaned mentally. Why did it have to be her?  
  
He went forward in that arrogant way that only the greatest Kaiba Seto could as he peered over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. No one was, but all eyes were glued to him as he walked forward to the girl.  
  
Yeah. Sure. Let them think whatever they want, but this wasn't his girlfriend. A small flame of curiosity inside him made him wonder if Masaki Anzu would be anyone's girlfriend. He quickly shot the thoughts away as he stopped in front of her.  
  
Masaki looked quite irritated. Her fine bag had gotten wet in the rain as the petite umbrella couldn't keep all the water out. She was also giving killer stares to all the guys who tried to come close, he noticed. She brushed her perfect brown hair with the hand as the bracelets clattered to make a noise, the sign of nervousness. He was satisfied; he had not lost his special touch after these two darned weeks in the home, playing games with his little brother.  
  
He straightened himself as he looked down at her. She glared angrily at him.  
  
"You've come here to…" he began, but she interrupted him in mid-sentence.  
  
"Yes, I know. I have to work for you, isn't that right?" she quickly shot in before he had a chance to continue. He glared at her with a passion. This loud-mouthed girl…  
  
"Now that you understand, you'll find yourself in my mansion five days from today in order to receive further instructions," he snarled as he smirked.  
  
"I am not going to work for you, Kaiba" she said.  
  
"You will be begging to, after I'm done," he replied as his nose twitched in irritation. How did this stuck-up girl dare to talk this way to him!  
  
"No. I am NOT going to do it."  
  
"You will."  
  
The bickering continued for a while, as Kaiba's eyes squinted together and his nose twitched worse and worse while Anzu had set her hands on her hips and was looking at the businessman with pure hate in her eyes.  
  
"Four o'clock in the afternoon," Kaiba replied as an ending.  
  
Anzu practically screamed of rage as he turned away. He started to walk back, and felt the sweet taste of victory. He enjoyed it thoroughly, as insanity would soon get the better of him.  
  
He heard the girl's enraged scream behind him as he nonchalantly walked away. The rain fell heavier as he cursed over his shoes being completely wet.  
  
But he didn't expect what happened next.  
  
That foolish girl had run behind him, spraying water everywhere. Her look of despise burned in his back. He turned around in aggravation.  
  
"Now what do you want?" he arrogantly sneered at her before he saw the dangerous flames in her eyes.  
  
Her mouth opened, but no sound came out of her lips. Instead, she raised her hand.  
  
He should've known better.  
  
A burning feeling of being struck by white-hot iron burned in his face as he glared at her. Then her hand fell down.  
  
"Oh my god! What have I done?" She cried before she fled. The heavy rainfall turned into a downpour that stopped him from following her.  
  
Curse that girl, he thought as he walked home. The victory he had gained wasn't complete anymore.  
  
Then again, he smirked at the thought; she would have to arrive at the designated place and time.  
  
At least that was something worth the slap.  
  
-  
  
Reader reviews!

kikoken - Yeah. And they're gonna be.. Wait! I am telling you about the next chappie! Noo... shifty eyes

LuvinAnime - It is THAT bad. I'd scream and throw a fit if I got 85. Once I got an 80 and I was upset two days for it. sigh And competition in school is very very tough over there...

Sphincter - This is a chappie in Seto's perspective. Ya like it?

Seto/Serenity/4ever - Hmm... What can I say? Thankies for the review

Don't forget to review this chapter!


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